This technique is used to get the audience to disapprove an action or idea by suggesting the idea is popular with groups hated, feared, or held in contempt by the target audience.
Thus, if a group which supports a policy is led to believe that undesirable, subversive, or contemptible people also support it, the members of the group might decide to change their position.
Examples:
- Media Monitoring Unit (MMU) - British government monitoring of blogs and participation on those blogs.
- The "persecution of Kate McCann"
- Vilifying of people participating on blogs and forums to discuss the case - stating that negative comments about the McCanns behavior or questions about their potential involvement in Maddie's disappearance bring "heartbreak" to the parents
- Kate McCann "I also think there’ll be some people who would be greatly embarrassed if Madeleine was found and that scares me. That might affect their want, or not, for Madeleine to be found." (Fact: If Maddie were to be found alive and well, people all over the entire world, including this blogger, would rejoice.)
- More to follow...
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